The present invention relates to a process for producing a material for cutting tools, which has high toughness and strength and excels in the resistance to both abrasion and plastic deformation, and to products produced by the process.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 54-30209 discloses a cutting tool material obtained by adding AlN to TiN-containing TiC base cermet. Although that cermet is known to have been improved with respect to cutting and mechanical properties, it is still not sufficient in strength since the base material per se has still a low strength, in spite of the fact that the AlN addition contributes somewhat to the increase in strength. At present, therefore, it is little used for heavy duty cutting, high impact milling or intermittent cutting. On the other hand, TiN base cermets excel in fracture toughness and stand up to thermal shock but, since TiN per se shows unsatisfactory wetting compatibility with bonding metals of the iron group, they have such an increased number of pores that they are deficient in strength and in resistance to both abrasion and plastic deformation.